2013 SRT Viper: New York 2012

Only one fifth of Chrysler Group dealers will have the chance to sell 2013 SRT Viper, according to an Automotive News report. To qualify for the V10 beast, a hopeful dealer will have to train staff and purchase special tools, as well as improve their facilities. This does not guarantee the ability to sell the Viper. It merely keeps the dealer on the list of potential suitors.

While this really doesn't qualify as "news," the above photo still has us excited enough to share. It's the first official image of the new 2013 SRT Viper with stripes. You see, we were a bit nonplussed when the Viper debuted at the New York Auto Show without its trademark livery. Perhaps it was to better focus attention on the sheetmetal's new curves, but we still missed seeing the lines down the middle on the show stand.

On Thursday night's Autoline After Hours, SRT boss Ralph Gilles sat down with show hosts John McElroy and Peter DeLorenzo, along with Autoblog and AOL Autos staffers to talk all things Viper. Among the interesting tidbits disclosed about the 640-horsepower supercar are plans for a new dealer certification process designed to encourage the sort of purchasing, service and ownership experience that buyers of six-digit cars have come to expect.

The 2013 SRT Viper stole the New York Auto Show this week with its 640-horsepower 8.4-liter V10 and the promise of even better tire-melting performance. It's the crown jewel in Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology brand headed by Ralph Gilles, President and CEO of SRT, Senior Vice President of Chrysler Design and the man most credited with resurrecting this beast.

The wait is finally over. Dodge... excuse us, SRT has officially pulled the wraps off the 2013 Viper, and it's everything we were hoping it would be. Let's discuss numbers: 640 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque from a front/mid-mounted 8.4-liter V10 and the best power-to-weight ratio of any Viper ever built.